Ann-Renée Desbiens is not snug with Toronto holding the attendance file for a girls’s hockey recreation.
The goalie for Montreal’s Skilled Girls’s Hockey League workforce believes the title ought to belong to her residence province.
And Toronto’s rival metropolis.
“I would like it in Montreal. I do not need it in Toronto,” Desbiens stated with out hesitation Wednesday on the Verdun Auditorium. “Any time Montreal can beat Toronto in any space of life, I am fairly blissful about it.”
Toronto set the attendance file of 19,285 when its PWHL membership hosted Montreal at Scotiabank Area on Feb. 16.
Desbiens may take into account setting her cellphone to “don’t disturb” given the excessive degree of curiosity.
“Began ringing fairly rapidly with individuals on the lookout for tickets. I used to be like, ‘There are 20,000 out there, attempt to discover some your self,”‘ deadpanned the netminder from Clermont, Que. “However actually, everybody’s excited to be there, to come back assist us.
“To have that form of platform is a pleasure.”
WATCH l CBC Sports activities’ Hockey North breaks down largest PWHL tales from Week 10:
Host Rob Pizzo is joined by Hailey Salvian to interrupt down the largest tales from Week 10 of the inaugural PWHL season.
Montreal alternate captains Laura Stacey of Kleinburg, Ont., and Erin Ambrose of Keswick, Ont., grew up bleeding blue for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, and with that got here a dislike for Montreal and the Canadiens.
Stacey’s roots go even deeper. Her grandfather, King Clancy, performed for the Leafs within the Thirties and her household nonetheless has season tickets.
Regardless of how particular it was to set the present file in Toronto, Ambrose stated Scotiabank Area cannot examine to the Bell Centre’s “electrical” environment on a Saturday night time.
Stacey stated the prospect to set one other attendance file transcends the historic rivalry.
Whether or not it is Montreal or Toronto, she views the second as a victory for ladies’s hockey and an indication of the PWHL’s success within the circuit’s inaugural season.
“Once you’re breaking data of this kind, it is extra than simply Montreal versus Toronto — it is for ladies’s hockey,” Stacey stated. “It is simply one other testomony to this league — what we have created — but additionally the place it is going.
“At some point we would like the data to form of be the norm.”
‘It is gonna be epic’
The Bell Centre would be the sixth NHL rink to host a PWHL recreation after Ottawa and Boston play Saturday at Detroit’s Little Caesar’s Area. Toronto and Montreal — tied atop the league standings heading into Wednesday’s motion — then face off Sunday at Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Area.
Montreal has already performed earlier than 4 of the top-five crowds this season. The novelty will not put on off earlier than April 20.
“It is gonna be epic,” Ambrose stated. “You take a look at Scotiabank Area and the way full it was, and I can not wait to have the ability to say that Montreal can beat that.
“Hopefully the followers purchase tickets actual fast and we promote this factor out.”
Poulin nonetheless day-to-day
Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin stays day-to-day after lacking observe on Wednesday. Poulin was saved out of final Sunday’s recreation in opposition to Ottawa for preventive measures and her standing for this weekend is unclear.
Normal supervisor Daniele Sauvageau says Montreal is being cautious with a busy schedule forward. Poulin can also be anticipated to captain Canada on the world championships from April 3 to 14 in Utica, NY.
“She’s achieved the all-star recreation, she’s achieved the Rivalry Collection, and there is a world championship developing,” Sauvageau stated. “As a PWHL common supervisor I may say ‘we can’t take into account the world championships’ however you do not know me very effectively if you happen to suppose I would see it that manner.
Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis typically refers to his gamers discovering the “proper chair” — as in position and state of affairs — to thrive.
Sauvageau has the same analogy for newly signed reserve participant Mikyla Grant-Mentis, who was launched by Ottawa on Feb. 18.
“I typically say ‘we’re all flowers however generally we’re not in the fitting pot,”‘ she stated. “Typically we discover ourselves within the solar, or the shade, extra water, much less water.”
Grant-Mentis, a former Premier Hockey Federation MVP, had three assists in six video games for Ottawa this season. The 25-year-old produced 63 factors in 51 video games within the PHF.
